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1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
Scale 1:18 Limited Edition
Corvette History - Chevrolet's Corvette SS Could Have Been a Contender
This informative article on the history of Chevrolet's Corvette SS was contributed by David Bellm:
It was a classic story of a promising car that didn't have a chance to really
prove itself. And from it was born one of the more significant legends of Corvette
history.
The Corvette SS began in 1956 as a pet project of General Motors' styling director
Harley Earl, who wanted Chevrolet to take on the big names in international
endurance racing. Earl's initial idea was to design a racy body, drop it onto
a Jaguar D-Type chassis, and swap the Jag's six for a Chevy V8.
But that notion wouldn't do for Corvette engineering guru, diehard racing fan
Zora Arkus-Duntov. When he heard of the plan, he pushed for an all-new chassis
design that would incorporate ambitious engineering concepts. Duntov's arguments
won out, if for no other reason than the fact that the D-Type's main structure
was a monocoque configuration and therefore had no separate frame to drop any
sort of body onto.
To save time, Duntov purchased a Mercedes-Benz 300SL frame and from that drew
much of the inspiration -- if not verbatim design elements -- for the Corvette
SS's structure. To this platform, he added a race-prepared 283-cid Chevy V8,
a de Dion rear axle, and an experimental braking system.
The car's hasty debut was the 12 Hours of Sebring, in early 1957. Juan Fangio
and Stirling Moss had initially agreed to pilot the car in the race, but development
delays plagued the car, giving the superstar drivers second thoughts. These
misgivings proved well founded. Replacements John Fitch and Piero Taruffi battled
a number of gremlins from the very beginning of the event, and were forced out
after just 23 laps.
The SS nonetheless showed considerable promise when it was running well, and
the team looked forward to trying the car at Le Mans that year. Unfortunately,
the Automobile Manufacturers Association enacted its infamous racing ban before
the June event, relegating the Corvette SS to being a testbed and show car.
But the story doesn't end there. In 1958, Earl's successor, Bill Mitchell,
bought the spare Corvette SS chassis. He then collaborated with his staff to
design a new body for it, and he campaigned the car himself - "privately,"
so as to dodge the AMA ban. Mitchell's racer was significant for introducing
one of the most beloved of all Corvettes shapes, the 1963-67 Stingray design.
For more articles on historic race cars and vintage sports cars, along with
drive-test articles on today's hottest performance cars, go to http://www.autiv.com
About the author: David Bellm is a seasoned test driver and automotive historian. His work has been featured in a wide variety of online and print publications.
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